Do the standards of beauty differ across cultures or are they universal? To find out, Kansas City-based journalist Esther Honig sent an unaltered picture of herself to Photoshop experts in more than 25 countries and asked them to, “make me beautiful.” Her illuminating project, entitled “Before & After,” dramatically illustrates how ideals of beauty vary from culture to culture.

Bangladesh

Chile

Germany

Greece

India

Indonesia

Israel

Italy

Kenya

Morocco

Pakistan

Philippines

Romania

Serbia

Sri Lanka

U.K.

Ukraine

USA

Vietnam

Venezuela

What is fascinating about these images is that they reveal certain qualities—like symmetry, youthfulness, clear skin, and large eyes—that appear to be beautiful everywhere. And yet there are clear differences from country to country: the eyebrows, the overall skin tone, and the style of makeup to name a few.

Some of the changes are quite dramatic—like Morocco, for instance, where the hair is completely covered in accordance with religious custom. And yet, of all the images, the most drastic changes may well be those from the U.S., where Honig looks as if she’s undergone major cosmetic surgery.

It’s worth spending some time with these images and really looking for what they have in common and what distinguishes them. Be sure to check out Honig’s other work on her website here. And don’t forget to share this article with your friends by clicking below.

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